Local school districts banning cooperation with ICE

March 10, 2017

The Santa Maria-Bonita School District board adopted a resolution Wednesday aimed at shielding students from the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. Santa Maria-Bonita is the latest of several local school districts, including San Luis Coastal, to do adopt such a resolution. [KSBY]

Santa Maria-Bonita’s resolution forbids district personnel from cooperating with ICE agents on enforcement action. If contacted by ICE agents, district staff are required to forward the requests to the superintendent’s office.

The resolution also requires ICE agents to obtain permission from district administrators before stepping foot on a school campus. Additionally, the resolution states the new rules will be translated into Spanish and distributed on school campuses and passed out to parents.

District officials say families that fear immigration enforcement may be keeping their children home from school. The district wanted to reassure parents that their schools are safe.

Santa Maria-Bonita spokeswoman Maggie White said, given the current political climate, the district wants to make sure that parents and families understand school is the right place for their children to be.

Last month, Santa Maria-Bonita district administrators marked 7,302 students absent from 20 elementary schools on the “Day Without Immigrants,” a nationwide protest against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. As a result of the absences, the district was expected to lose about $400,000 in state funding.

In addition to San Luis Coastal, the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District and the Guadalupe Union School District have adopted similar resolutions. Both the Guadalupe and Santa Maria high school districts likewise lost significant funding due to mass absences on the Day Without Immigrants.


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I think the best way to handle this is to (gasp) FOLLOW THE LAW. I realize that isn’t the norm anymore and to many it seems “unfair” but it’s the LAW.


ICE is by law not allowed on public school campuses.


Whenever anyone would be asking about a law enforcement issue, that would already be headed to the Superintendents office.DO NOT treat this differently.


IT IS NOT the JOB of teachers to communicate with law enforcement officials, nor the clerical staff. Otherwise, they would be bogged down in every ugly divorce and custody battle in the community!


GET with the FACTS!


Let’s hear it for a relatively peaceful approach to breaking the law. Can you imagine what’s going to happen when the Feds come after marijuana? Pot growers are well-funded, well-armed, and simply don’t want anyone harming their business.


I have an idea, why doesn’t ICE just wait outside the school fence/driveway for all the Young’uns/parents. The school district has no control over city streets. After one time of that, watch attendance drop. Bye Bye funding monies. None of these things will happen tho. Just a lot of sword rattling.


According to santa maria schools estimate of funds lost they receive $ 54.78 per student per day , good to see that published !!!!!!!!!!